Systems and methods for mitigating mobile device loss

• US 8,911,507 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc., Interweld Austria GmbH
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Alan, Casaburi, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMITOSKI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/302,871
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 726/19, 726/34, 726/35, 726/36, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for mitigating mobile device loss may include (1) identifying historical data specifying a plurality of past locations of a mobile computing device, (2) identifying a current location of the mobile computing device, (3) determining that the current location deviates from an expected location based on the historical data, and (4) performing a security measure on the mobile computing device in response to determining that the current location deviates from the expected location. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for mitigating mobile device loss, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

identifying historical data specifying a plurality of location-time pairs for a mobile computing device, wherein each location-time pair specifies a past location for the mobile computing device and a time corresponding to the past location;

identifying a current location-time pair for the mobile computing device based on a current location of the mobile computing device and a current time;

determining, using a machine-learning technique trained using the plurality of location-time pairs, that the current location-time pair deviates from an expected location-time pair due to a statistical likelihood of the mobile computing device being at the current location at the current time falling below a predetermined threshold;

performing a security measure on the mobile computing device in response to determining that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair, wherein performing the security measure on the mobile computing device comprises presenting a challenge comprising a communication disguised as originating from a human contact to verify that an authorized user of the mobile computing device is in possession of the mobile computing device and to conceal from a potential thief that the potential thief is being tested by the challenge.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one future location of interest specified by a user of the mobile computing device, wherein the machine-learning technique is further trained using the future location of interest specified by the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair comprises determining that the current location deviates from an expected location by a distance beyond a predetermined threshold.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising tracking the location of the mobile computing device to generate the historical data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair comprises determining that the current location deviates from an expected location based at least in part on a route used to arrive at the current location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair comprises:

identifying a movement pattern within the historical data;

determining that an arrival at the current location deviates from the movement pattern.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein tracking the location of the mobile computing device comprises intermittently tracking the location of the mobile computing device to minimize at least one of power and memory consumption.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing the security measure on the mobile computing device comprises presenting a challenge disguised as another function of the mobile computing device to verify that an authorized user of the mobile computing device is in possession of the mobile computing device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing the security measure on the mobile computing device comprises at least one of:

locking the mobile computing device;

changing an access code for the mobile computing device;

using a media capture device within the mobile computing device;

removing sensitive data from the mobile computing device.

10. A system for mitigating mobile device loss, the system comprising:

an identification module programmed to identify historical data specifying a plurality of location-time pairs for a mobile computing device, wherein each location-time pair specifies a past location for the mobile computing device and a time corresponding to the past location;

a location module programmed to identify a current location-time pair for the mobile computing device based on a current location of the mobile computing device and a current time;

a determination module programmed to determine, using a machine-learning technique trained using the plurality of location-time pairs, that the current location-time pair deviates from an expected location-time pair due to a statistical likelihood of the mobile computing device being at the current location at the current time falling below a predetermined threshold;

a performing module programmed to perform a security measure on the mobile computing device in response to determining that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair, wherein performing the security measure on the mobile computing device comprises presenting a challenge comprising a communication disguised as originating from a human contact to verify that an authorized user of the mobile computing device is in possession of the mobile computing device and to conceal from a potential thief that the potential thief is being tested by the challenge;

at least one processor configured to execute the identification module, the location module, the determination module, and the performing module.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the location module is further programmed to identify at least one future location of interest specified by a user of the mobile computing device;

the machine-learning technique is further trained using the future location of interest specified by the user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the determination module is programmed to determine that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair by determining that the current location deviates from an expected location by a distance beyond a predetermined threshold.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the identification module is further programmed to track the location of the mobile computing device to generate the historical data.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the determination module is programmed to determine that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair by determining that the current location deviates from an expected location based at least in part on a route used to arrive at the current location.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair comprises:

identifying a movement pattern within the historical data;

determining that an arrival at the current location deviates from the movement pattern.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the identification module is programmed to track the location of the mobile computing device by intermittently tracking the location of the mobile computing device to minimize at least one of power and memory consumption.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the performing module is programmed to perform the security measure on the mobile computing device by presenting a challenge disguised as another function of the mobile computing device to verify that an authorized user of the mobile computing device is in possession of the mobile computing device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the performing module is programmed to perform the security measure on the mobile computing device by at least one of:

locking the mobile computing device;

changing an access code for the mobile computing device;

using a media capture device within the mobile computing device;

removing sensitive data from the mobile computing device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify historical data specifying a plurality of location-time pairs for a mobile computing device, wherein each location-time pair specifies a past location for the mobile computing device and a time corresponding to the past location;

identify a current location-time pair for the mobile computing device based on a current location of the mobile computing device and a current time;

determine, using a machine-learning technique trained using the plurality of location-time pairs, that the current location-time pair deviates from an expected location-time pair due to a statistical likelihood of the mobile computing device being at the current location at the current time falling below a predetermined threshold;

perform a security measure on the mobile computing device in response to determining that the current location-time pair deviates from the expected location-time pair, wherein performing the security measure on the mobile computing device comprises presenting a challenge comprising a communication disguised as originating from a human contact to verify that an authorized user of the mobile computing device is in possession of the mobile computing device and to conceal from a potential thief that the potential thief is being tested by the challenge.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium of claim 19, wherein:

the one or more computer-executable instructions further cause the computing device to identify at least one future location of interest specified by a user of the mobile computing device;

the machine-learning technique is further trained using the future location of interest specified by the user.